The Riley Award is issued each year to a mayor whose commitment to excellence in urban design has helped elevate the quality of life for that mayor’s constituency. The Goodmans are being honored because during their consecutive administrations, they have helped lead Las Vegas into an urban renaissance focused on downtown revitalization. “The Goodmans have had the foresight and drive to turn the city of Las Vegas into a cultural destination,” said USCM CEO & Executive Director Tom Cochran. “They both have had the vision and ability to recognize that arts and culture attract youth, and youth attracts jobs and economic growth.”

The Goodmans have also helped guide the design and construction in downtown Las Vegas of a new City Hall (principal design team: Elkus Manfredi Architects with executive architect JMA Architecture Studio), which has in turn catalyzed a series of mixed-use developments projected to create 13,000 permanent jobs, $4.1 billion in private investment, and $16–20 billion in new tax revenue. At the same time, the building itself has proven to be a model of sustainability. Its 33 solar trees produce approximately 290,000 kilowatt hours of energy annually, while these and its other sustainability features help to reduce greenhouse gas omissions by 2,400 tons and energy costs by $400,000 each year.

“When we started in 1999, we had a vision for a downtown rich in art, culture and architecture, and we’ve come so far since then,” the former Mayor said. “We now have buildings in the downtown that are architecturally known around the world, and I am proud to have been a part of that progress.”